Check-controlled apparatus.



.Z. T. POINTER. CHECK CONTROLLED APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 4, 1912.

Patented July 2, 1912.

WITNESSES V I Z I INVENTOR 4f a Aliomey COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60-. WASHINGTON, D. C.

UNITED STATE IATENT GEE-ICE.

ZACHARIAH 'I. POINTER, or BEACON, IOWA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF '10 HOMER. s. MARSH, or TRACY, IOWA.

CHECK-CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2,1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ZACHARIAH T. POINTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beacon, in the county of Mahaska and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Check- Controlled Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in check controlled apparatus usually classified under the head of platform actuated devices, and is designed especially as a coin slot machine by means of which a clock maybe exhibited under certain conditions, in order that the person operating the machine may ascertain the exact and cor rected time.

The occasion frequently arises that a person is desirous of ascertaining the exact and correct time for the purpose of setting his own time piece. This invention contemplates the use of a. time piece in connection with a machine of the above mentioned character, which may be connected with and regulated by a master clock, in order that the exact time may be learned from the clock, when the machine is actuated in proper manner.

In the drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best mode I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles of the invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus involving the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the shutter mechanism of the apparatus.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention I employ the casing or housing 1 preferably of metal and of usual construction. The base 2 is provided with a spring supported platform 3, which bears upon the short end of an actuating lever 4, which is connected at 5 to the lift rod 6, a slot 7 being fashioned at the lower end of the rod for a purpose to appear hereinafter. The rod 6 extends up into the tubular housing 8 and into the casing 1, and at 9 is pivoted to an arm 10, which is in turn pivoted at 11 to a bracket or brace 12 fixed to the in side of the casing 1. At its free end this arm carries an eye-glass case 13, which is prevents dislocation of the pawl 28.

preferably a metallic tube in which is held a lens 14. The fixed arm 13 is adapted to swing on its pivot, and to accommodate this movementof the arm and eye-glass case or sightii'ig-tube, the front of the casing 1 is slotted as at 15. A shield 16 which is preferably flexible, is attached as at 17 to the sight-piece 13, and guided in its movement in the grooved brackets 18, and 18 at the side edges of the shield. An opening 20 is provided in the shield at the inner end of the sight piece, to give an unobstructed view at all times of the interior of the casing 1. Near its upper end the lift rod 6 carries a spring or elastic arm 21, which arm, in normal position supports a shutter The arm 21., as seen especially in Fig. 3, is directly under a lug or extension 23 of the shutter, and the shutter is slidable in the grooved side brackets 24. The shutter is located in position to screen the clock 25 from view, in manner to be described, and at its lower end has attached thereto a spring hook or latch 26, adapted to engage the hook 9.7 of a pivoted pawl 28. The pawl is pivoted on a brace rod or bracket 29 which is fixed to one side of the casing l, and directly beneath the open mouth of a coin chute 30, which is fixed in the casing and extends from near the upper end thereof down near the clock. A stationary lug 31 A guide strip or cleat 32 is located in the path of movement of the spring arm 21, for a purpose to be described.

In operation of the apparatus assuming a person desires to ascertain the correct time, he steps upon the spring supported platform 3 and depresses one end of the lever 4 and raises the other end of said lever, which lifts the rod 6. The ascension of rod 6 swings the arm 10 with the sight piece, upwardly, on the pivot 11, and the sight piece is brought to the position indicated in dotted lines Fig. 2. The upward movement of the rod 6 also lifts the shutter 22, through the medium of the elastic arm 21, to position directly in front of the clock 25, thus obscuring the clock from vision. If occasion requires, for instance should a taller person be using the apparatus and it be necessary to swing the sight piece farther upward. this may be accomplished by hand because of the presence of the slot 7 at the base of the arm from the lug 23, and while descending the guide strip brings the arm back and under the lug at the left side thereof. Just before the arm 21 is freed from the lug 23, the spring pressed hook 26 on the shutter engages the hook 27 of the pawl 28, and the shutter is thus suspended by these hooks, and is in position to obscure the clock from vision. A coin is now dropped in the slot and travels down the chute 30. Emerging from the mouth of the chute the coin contacts with the pawl 28 and depresses it, thus freeing the hook 27 from the hook 26, and the clock is disclosed to view. After the time has been ascertained, the operator steps off the platform. The rod now falls, carrying with it the arm 10 and sight piece to original position, and the arm 21 is returned to positionunder shutter lug 23 as described. The shield 16, it will be understood, at all times prevents surreptitious inspection of the clock through the sight piece, and the sight piece when in position in dotted lines can only be seen through for inspecting the clock, when the shutter has been dropped by actuation of a coin.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. The combination with a casing and a clock therein, of a slidable shutter adapted to obscure said clock, a lift rod carrying an arm adapted to lift said shutter, means for suspending said shutter in front of the clock, and coin actuated means for releasing the shutter. V

2. The combination with a casing and a clock therein, of a slidable shutter, a lift rod carrying an arm adapted to lift said shutter, means for holding said shutter in lifted position to obscure the clock, means for releasing said shutter, and an adjustable sight piece for inspecting the clock.

3. The combination with a casing and a clock therein, of a slidable shutter, a weight actuated lift rod carrying an arm for lifting said shutter, means for disengaging said arm from the shutter, means for suspending the shutter in lifted position to obscure the clock, and coin actuated release means for said shutter.

4. The combination with a casing and a clock therein, of a slidable shutter, a weight actuated lift rod and a pivoted sight piece movable therewith, an arm on said rod for lifting said shutter, means for disengaging said arm from the shutter, means for suspending the shutter in lifted position to obscure the clock, and coin actuated means for said shutter.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ZACHARIAH T. POINTER.

Witnesses L. T. SHANGLE, T. M. SHooKLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G. 

